Country : Québec Label : Kill Rock Stars Genres and styles : Art Rock / J-Rock / psychédélique Year : 2023
TEKE::TEKE – Hagata

TEKE::TEKE – Hagata

· by Varun Swarup

If you’re feeling like there is little new under the sun, you would do well to look east and listen to TEKE::TEKE. First formed by guitarist Serge Nakauchi-Pelletier as a tribute to Takeshi Terauchi, a pioneer of eleki, a sort of Japanese surf-rock that started to catch on in the 1960’s, TEKE::TEKE soon found their stride with the addition of singer Maya Kuroki and arrived at a sound that was boldly their own.

With the release of their first LP, Shirushiso, two years ago, this seven-piece outfit from Montreal didn’t just make waves, but effectively cannonballed onto the scene with their explosive blend of eleki, art-rock, and Japanese folk music. Hagata, the group’s much awaited sophomore release, sees the group diving from yet greater heights and they stick the landing gracefully. 

Hagata begins with ‘Garakuta’, an explosive number that places the listener in a swirling soundscape of traditional Japanese instrumentation that traverses genres like garage-rock, art-rock, big band, film music, and psychedelia. TEKE::TEKE don’t necessarily tread new ground, but manage to create novelty by combining traditional and contemporary forms in otherwise unexpected and satisfying ways. Take the sixth track ‘Doppelganger’ for instance, which boldly takes on the ‘Western’ theme and imbues it with a strong umami flavour,  making it a solid contender for the Kill Bill soundtrack. 

As a seven-piece, the band have a broad sonic palette to work with, making for plenty of dramatic moments and cinematic textures throughout the album. Really each song seems to be a self-contained soundtrack unto itself, but the album is delightfully consistent in terms of quality and in terms of creating a satisfying narrative arc from start to finish. “Setagaya Koya” is another highlight which is a clever take on the 70’s cop thriller.

Through their outlandishness and Noh-inspired theatrics, TEKE::TEKE raise some very real questions here, of environmental catastrophe, and of identity. While the album carries a sense of familiarity, fans of their previous work will be very pleased by the band’s evolution and willingness to push the envelope just a bit further here. Hagata is above all an exercise in joy and creativity.

Latest 360 Content

“Mon coeur bat à la Chamade” – Talking with Gabrielle Cloutier

“Mon coeur bat à la Chamade” – Talking with Gabrielle Cloutier

Anachnid – Freak of Nature

Anachnid – Freak of Nature

We Owe – Slight Inconvenience

We Owe – Slight Inconvenience

Final Fantasy | Immersive and symphonic video games series

Final Fantasy | Immersive and symphonic video games series

Festival Vibrations | Ensemble de Musique du Monde’s South American Journey

Festival Vibrations | Ensemble de Musique du Monde’s South American Journey

L’Orchestre de l’Agora at the Bach Festival | The Bach Family in Serene Contemplation

L’Orchestre de l’Agora at the Bach Festival | The Bach Family in Serene Contemplation

AKOYA / Amanda Keesmaat – Graupner : intégrale des sonates pour violon et clavecin

AKOYA / Amanda Keesmaat – Graupner : intégrale des sonates pour violon et clavecin

Vibrations Festival at UdeM | Special Guests and Brazilian Music in the Spotlight

Vibrations Festival at UdeM | Special Guests and Brazilian Music in the Spotlight

Pressure Pin Live: Surprisingly calculated art punk, but still weird

Pressure Pin Live: Surprisingly calculated art punk, but still weird

Laurence Kayaleh / Bernadene Blaha – Noskowski / Zelenski : Violin Sonatas

Laurence Kayaleh / Bernadene Blaha – Noskowski / Zelenski : Violin Sonatas

Quatuor Molinari – Philip Glass : Complete String Quartets, Nos. 5-7, Volume 2

Quatuor Molinari – Philip Glass : Complete String Quartets, Nos. 5-7, Volume 2

Bach Festival | The Pleasures of the Sonata According to Diderot

Bach Festival | The Pleasures of the Sonata According to Diderot

Le Vivier and Orchestre de l’Agora | A Virtuoso Celebration of Contemporary Music

Le Vivier and Orchestre de l’Agora | A Virtuoso Celebration of Contemporary Music

Yellow Eyes – Master’s Murmur

Yellow Eyes – Master’s Murmur

Gnaw Their Tongues – The Cessation of Suffering

Gnaw Their Tongues – The Cessation of Suffering

Nicole Rampersaud – Saudade

Nicole Rampersaud – Saudade

I Gemelli in Montreal: Simply One of the Year’s Great Concerts

I Gemelli in Montreal: Simply One of the Year’s Great Concerts

Sudden Voices – I Knew You At Once

Sudden Voices – I Knew You At Once

Hot Garbage – Mystery

Hot Garbage – Mystery

Le Vivier and Ensemble SuperMusique | The Undeniable Talent and Attention to Detail of Ensemble Super

Le Vivier and Ensemble SuperMusique | The Undeniable Talent and Attention to Detail of Ensemble Super

Bach Festival | Beyond Bach, the Signum Signature

Bach Festival | Beyond Bach, the Signum Signature

Sarah Aristidou – Enigma

Sarah Aristidou – Enigma

On the Record with ROM1

On the Record with ROM1

OSM’s South American Voyage| Breaking Down Barriers

OSM’s South American Voyage| Breaking Down Barriers

Subscribe to our newsletter